The key step in understanding the genesis of life on Earth, and potentially other planets, is the appearance of the first metabolic compartments, also known as protocells. Recently, we found that the graphene quantum dots (GQDs) spontaneously form hollow nanoshells in the presence of Earth-abundant metal ions in water. The GQD nanoshells represent the missing link between the inorganic world and the appearance of the first cells. GQDs and their assemblies have the ability to (a) serve as early prebiotic compartments for preliminary metabolism, (b) catalyze the formation of complex organic molecules, and (c) propagate by self-replicating. This work was conducted using a combination of experiments and computations, including state-of-art electron microscopic techniques and molecular dynamic simulations. It will help to understand how graphene-based “protocells” evolved from the inorganic world and will elucidate their relationship to modern cells in structural properties and functions.

Self-assemblies of graphene quantum dots: From hollow nanoshells to the origin of life

255th National Meeting (2018)

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